An undefeated, seventh first-class hundred for retiring Guyana Harpy Eagles captain Leon Johnson, and a career-best spell from Barbados Pride off-spinner Chaim Holder marked the West Indies Championship on Wednesday.
Leon Johnson, 35, announced this month that he was retiring after this season, but he reminded them of his value when he came to their rescue with 142 not out against Jamaica Scorpions that dominated the first day of the fourth-round match in Guyana.
Holder, 28, bagged five for 71 from 18.3 overs, and defending champions Pride, stinging from a deflating loss in the previous round, bowled out hosts Trinidad & Tobago Red Force about an hour after tea.
In south Trinidad, half-centuries from Karima Gore, Kieran Powell, and Kofi James gave Leeward Islands Hurricanes a strong start against Windward Islands Volcanoes.
AT THE GUYANA NATIONAL STADIUM: Johnson shared 126 for the fifth wicket with Tevin Imlach and a series of small stands to carry the table-leading Harpy Eagles to 268 for nine in their first innings at the close.
Sent into bat, the Harpy Eagles stumbled to 55 for four before lunch, and Leon Johnson, playing in his 106th match for the hosts, drew on all his experience to pull them out of the hole.
He has struck 16 fours from 248 balls in 5 1/2 hours at the crease, Imlach supported with 46, and opener Kevlon Anderson got the ball rolling with 36.
Test pacer Marquino Mindley and fellow pacers Derval Green and Ojay Shields have taken two wickets apiece for the Scorpions.
AT QUEEN’S PARK OVAL: Holder defied a half-century from discarded international batsman Jason Mohammed and led the demolition of Red Force’s first innings batting for 203.
Pacer Jair McAllister supported with three for 31 from 15 overs before Pride replied with 40 without loss at the close with Zachary McCaskie not out on 21 and left-hander Shayne Moseley not out on 19.
Mohammed led the Red Force batting with 55 and anchored two valuable stands with Tion Webster and West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva to prop up the Red Force after they won the toss and decided to bat.
Da Silva made 32 and dominated a fourth-wicket stand of 48 with Mohammed before he was lbw to McAllister, and Webster made 46 and led the way in a fifth-wicket stand of 39 before Mohammed was the first of six wickets that fell for 40 in the span of 18 overs after tea.
AT THE BRIAN LARA CRICKET ACADEMY: United States international Gore was unbeaten on 87 and sizing up a maiden first-class hundred on debut to lead the Hurricanes to 271 for six in the first innings at the close.
Gore has so far struck 12 fours and one six from 177 balls in close to four hours at the crease and shared 150 unbroken for the seventh wicket with Kofi James after the Hurricanes wobbled to 121 for six after lunch.
James was not out on 61 with three fours and one six from 153 balls in three hours of batting.
Earlier, discarded international left-hander Powell followed up his match-winning hundred against Pride in the previous round with 75 and held the top half of the batting together before he succumbed to Kenneth Dember in the first hour after lunch.
Off-spinner Dember and left-arm pacer Preston McSween have taken two wickets each for the Volcanoes.
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